O'Neill Wetsuits Winter Range 2015

O’Neill Winter 2015 Wetsuit Range Now In Store

The 2015 O’Neill wetsuits range really is one of the best we have seen at the Wetsuit Centre. We will run through what we think are the key features of the Winter O'Neill range.

O'Neill Epic Wetsuits

The Epic is now a 5/4mm wetsuit, which means it now has 5mm of neoprene on the body and 4mm on the arms. This new thicker material simply means the wetsuit is warmer than ever and if you think that this may restrict the movement then fear not. The wetsuit is now 100% super stretch giving you the freedom of movement in the best quality neoprene. Epic is well priced at only £129 making it one of the cheapest winter wetsuits on the market. The O'Neill Epic range is made in men’s, women’s and kid’s sizes. The wetsuit also has polypro lining which acts in the same way as thermal underwear but in your wetsuit. This Firewall lining is on the chest and lumber region for maximum warmth. All in all this wetsuit is a great for all water sports including surfing, kitesurfing and sailing. Even some hardy swimmers use the Epic for the cold winter months.

O'Neill Superfreak Wetsuits

The Superfreak is another winner from O’Neill and is a great winter wetsuit that features a chest zip entry for freedom of movement and warmth. Drain holes on the wetsuit ensure the amount of water that enters the wetsuit is minimal. Chest zips are more difficult to put on but once you have done it a few times it really is not a issue. Superfreak series of wetsuits is also constructed with 5mm of neoprene on the body and 4mm on the arms and being fully super stretch it gives fantastic stretch. The smooth skin chest panel prevents any wind penetration keeping your core as warm as possible. It’s such a great price of £150 that you will find it hard to find a wetsuit with all these features. The Superfreak is also made in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes.  Great for all water sports especially surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing.

O'Neill Hyperfreak Wetsuits

New for 2015 the Hyperfreak winter wetsuit is a great addition to the O’Neill range. It’s major benefit over the Superfreak is that it is constructed from the TechnoButter neoprene which is super light and very flexible.  The Neoprene is designed to absorb the least amount of water possible making it light and warm.  To the touch it feels really soft and very flexible with small lines in the neoprene, which draws any water down these lines away from the body. When you have the wetsuit on it really feels like a summer wetsuit due to the flex in the material.  A chest entry system means you will have complete movement in the back, keeping you free from restriction.  Priced at £190 this surely has to be one of the best sub £200 wetsuits on the market.  I have a 3/2mm summer wetsuit and have got to say I was super impressed by how good it felt on and how warm it was. Think this is more a surfing wetsuit due to the fact it does not have the smooth skin on the front of the wetsuit.

O'Neill Mutant Wetsuits

This Mutant wetsuit has always been a favourite wetsuit of mine due to the fact it’s just a really good warm wetsuit. It comes with an attachment that changes the wetsuit to a hooded version so when it’s warmer you can wear it without the attached hood or on the colder days the attached hood makes this into a super warm wetsuit. The design is a chest zip and to be fair it’s pretty easy to get it on and off. The thickness is 5mm on the body a 4mm on the arms with a great thermal layering on the chest.  The wetsuit is also liquid sealed so it keeps that nasty cold water out of the wetsuit. If you want a wetsuit that is going to keep you toasty warm in all conditions and want to spend less than £230 then this should certainly be considered.

O'Neill Psycho Wetsuits

Pretty much the best known of the O’Neill range and for good reason the Psycho 1 is all about performance in terms of very few panels on the wetsuit meaning your movement is unrestricted. It also uses the new Technobutter 2 neoprene, which is designed around being the most flexible and lightest material on the market. This wetsuit is great for bodyboarding and surfing for those that require the very best in flexibility.  The Psycho 3 is a stitch less wetsuit and is O’Neill’s flagship wetsuit it is bursting with warmth features such as thermal ling and liquid sealing keeping you as warm as possible. This wetsuit is also made from the best neoprene in the Technobutter 2 which is the very latest and warmest. Psycho 3 is great for just about every water sport from jet skiing to surfing and kitesurfing. The zip and entry system is the outstanding Zen zip ,which is built as part of the wetsuit rather than added on. It’s just about the best quality you can get out of a wetsuit.

O'Neill Pyrotech Wetsuits

New to the O’Neill range but what a fantastic addition the O'Neill Pyrotech winter wetsuit, given that this chest zip is available in either 5/4mm or a hooded 6/4mm wetsuit. It is pretty much a Psycho wetsuit with a few added benefits including the air insulated neoprene for additional warmth and a fantastic smooth skin chest panel. If you are looking for the warmest possible wetsuit then this is an absolute must for winter 2015.

To the touch this wetsuit just feels amazing and it feels like it’s going to keep you super warm.

If you want more information or a look at the entire O'Neill range then have a look at Wetsuit Centre

How does a Wetsuit work and keep you warm?

So in answer to the question how does a wetsuit keep you warm we should start with the basics of how a wetsuit works. Wetsuits keep you warm by catching a thin layer of water between your skin and the neoprene. Your body heats up this water and keeps you warm. It’s important to get a wetsuit that fits properly, otherwise cold water will constantly flush the warm water out. The neoprene in the wetsuit also acts as insulation against environment, so the thicker the neoprene (and wetsuit) the better the insulation will be. The neoprene contains loads of small air bubbles that provide the insulation.

As technology has advanced in the world of wetsuits and neoprene is of such high quality so does the warmth and flexibility. So where-by the basics of how a wetsuit works is important to warmth its not the most important factor anymore. Let's take a look at some of the key features that uses new technology to make the wetsuit warmer.

                                                               Glued & Blindstiched

In terms of construction GBS is where in construction of the wetsuit they join the material together by gluing then stitching to form a bond that reduces water penetration. The less water that enters the wetsuit the warmer your body will remain. GBS seams are in all winter wetsuits (5mm Wetsuits) as not having any water enter the wetsuit is crucial in cold water. Where-by some entry level summer wetsuits (3mm Wetsuits) will have a flatlock construction which is where the material is overlapped and  double stitched, this form of construction can let some water through the seams but is used in water that is generally warmer so having less impact.


          Thermal Lining

As you can see from the photo the red material is the thermal material which is designed to wick water away from your body and act in the same way as thermal underwear. To the touch the thermal material is soft with slight bobbles. This is generally placed on the chest and kidney area of the wetsuit. The reason for this is to keep the blood flow warm in these key areas thus warm blood is pumped around the body keeping you warmer. Thermal ling is far less flexible than neoprene so does reduce flexibility in the areas to where it is added.


                                                              Liquid Seams

Technology has played a large part in the advent of liquid seams in wetsuits. Liquid seams are designed the minimize even further the possibility of water entering the wetsuit. The process is to GBS the seams first then add this taping to either or both sides of the seam thus making a seal that cant be penetrated. Even as i write this article technology has meant that these seams are reducing in thickness and width to enable increased flexibility. As the more flexible a wetsuit is the better it will feel and the better it will fit, keeping you warmer. So you should consider this when buying a wetsuit. I personally prefer wetsuits without the liquid sealing as i like the flex you get and feeling of not having any restrictions. The seams on wetsuits nowadays is so good that less and less water is getting through the seams.

Hope that has helped explain a couple of the features of what makes a wetsuit warm. Please feel free to ask us to review any products or answer questions by contacting www.wetsuitcentre.co.uk